RKS concert
by Ali on 10/1/24Credit Union 1 Arena at UIC - ChicagoThis event was great. Wonderful show. Very easy to get into venue, merchandise lines went fast. Staff was friendly and helpful.
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Merchandise Voucher
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Orion Amphitheater
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The Great Saltair
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As if channeling another dimension where genres simply don't exist, Rainbow Kitten Surprise finds harmony in unpredictability - weaving together lyrical poetry, hummable melodies, and a rush of instrumental eccentricities. Now boasting over 2 billion global streams across platforms, the band first began building their devoted fanbase with independent albums SEVEN + MARY?(2013) and RKS (2015). The band's breakout full-length debut for Elektra, HOW TO: FRIEND, LOVE, FREEFALL, arrived in April 2018. Produced by GRAMMY Award-winner Jay Joyce (Cage The Elephant, Lainey Wilson), the album featured RIAA-certified Platinum single "It's Called: Freefall," earned widespread praise from Billboard, TIME, Vice, and NPR who described their sound as "...a mix of jam and indie and whatever else you can throw into the soup...very earnest, beautiful, political, loving rock n' roll," and saw the band make several national television appearances, including performances on "CBS Saturday Morning," "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," and PBS's "Austin City Limits." After gracing the bills of Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Osheaga, to name a few, RKS moved 80,000 tickets of their own on the sold-out 2018/2019 Friend, Love, Freefall Tour. That tour was earmarked by a sold-out debut at Red Rocks Amphitheatre and three consecutive gigs in Athens, GA (the latter of which were chronicled on their first official live album, LIVE FROM ATHENS GEORGIA, released in 2021).
The band released a two-track single Mary (B-Sides) in May 2019 - consisting of "Heart" and "No Vacancy." The following year brought the release of standalone single "Our Song" - already a fan favorite in their live rotation prior to release - as well as a livestream concert in July, held for thousands of fans on what would've been the date of another sold-out Red Rocks performance (cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). In March 2022, the band released the emotionally charged track "Work Out," marking their first new music in nearly two years.
2022 also saw the band set out on their first full headline trek in nearly 3 years, a run that included their long-awaited, sold-out, two-night return to Red Rocks. And in 2022 alone, with the help of partners PLUS1 and Propeller, Rainbow Kitten Surprise raised over $170k for food banks in local tour markets, LGBTQ+ causes, and mental health initiatives.
Rainbow Kitten Surprise is: Ela Melo (she/her; lead vocals), Darrick "Bozzy" Keller (he/him; guitar, vocals), Ethan Goodpaster (he/him; lead guitar, vocals), Jess Haney (he/him; drums)
This event was great. Wonderful show. Very easy to get into venue, merchandise lines went fast. Staff was friendly and helpful.
Great show! Mixed in the new songs, and played a lot of the favorites! My family and I had an amazing time!
RKS is the greatest show I have ever been to. This will be a core memory forever. From the awesome people I met to seeing my favorite artist live for the first time. DONT SHUT DOWN ON ME.
RKS was awesome! I had never seen them live nor knew their music very well. They now have a big fan! Great energy and so much fun! The opener, Ethan Regan, was absolutely fantastic as well. A must listen! Overall just an incredible experience!
Love this band. It's the 4th time I've seen them. And while I prefer a smaller club or setting, they have the energy for a larger venue. They play a mix of favorites and new stuff. And they are amazing live!!
Rainbow Kitten Surprise has consistently been in my top five, if not my number one, artist since 2019. While I’ve always loved their music, I was a bit disappointed with the energy and communication during their recent performance in Chicago. There was minimal interaction with the crowd, which led to some awkward silences between songs, making the experience feel a bit disconnected. That said, I still feel incredibly fortunate to have seen them live, especially considering the tours they’ve had to cancel in the past. I truly hope they’ve found a way to perform that works for them—even if that means less crowd engagement. Their talent speaks for itself, but a little more connection could make their shows even more memorable. Love you always, A
The opener was a let down to say the least he expected people to sing along to songs he hadn’t even released yet. On the other hand Rainbow kitten surprise was spectacular I could’ve listened to them play all night. Their sound was awesome they kept it interesting and played popular songs that the whole crowd was singing along with. I’d do it again in a heartbeat!!!
RKS put on an amazing performance! The venue was perfect and audio was well-heard. We had a great experience from start to finish, and loved listening to the great music.
Rainbow Kitten Surprise is amazing. I understand it would be difficult to make a setlist, given their superior discography, however, how could they not play Overtime. Subjectively, it's their best song. Also! no Work Out! Everything else was amazing, but not hearing those songs stung.
I was so excited for this show considering they have such great reviews, but I was so disappointed! There was just no energy in the arena and so many people looked to be completely bored. I’ve never been to a show where so many people were sitting down and looking at their phones or having their own conversations. The entire band seemed extremely detached from both each other and the audience. There was no interaction with the audience at all, besides a couple of short generic statements. They also transitioned between songs very awkwardly and the set did not flow together at all. Overall there was just no personality shown by anyone on stage. The best way I can describe this show is that it felt more like a crowd of people listening to some songs in the same room than a concert experience. I wish them all the best as I know the lead singer has recently struggled with mental health challenges, but at this time I wouldn’t recommend shelling out the money to go see them live.